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In a ruling from the New York State Supreme Court from Thursday, Nov. 17, it was determined that the Hampshire Country Club in Mamaroneck can resume a decade-long effort to move forward with the project after it was denied by the village's Planning Board, according to the ruling.
According to the decision, the court found that the Planning Board's denial was illegal and motivated by an already-existing desire for a negative result.
Evidence for this included emails that revealed a plot by Planning Board members to take control from their own consultants because they agreed with Hampshire's consultants, as well as admissions from board members while under oath that alleged reasons to deny the project would not actually happen, according to the court ruling.
One such basis for reinstating the Hampshire County Club's application was that the Planning Board requested the golf course to study if the homes would be affected by projected sea level rise in 2070, and when the country club provided findings that the residences would be safe, the Board switched the standard to 2080. They then refused to consider a study that showed the homes would be safe by that year as well, according to the court's decision.
The ruling is a "significant victory for Hampshire," according to Peter Giles, a spokesman for the country club, who also said that the denial had been led by neighbors of the country club seeking to stop any development of the area, including at least one Planning Board member.
The area that the county club is located in is zoned for single-family residential use, Giles said.
The country club will also pursue a regulatory claim against the village and seek over $58 million in damages, according to Giles.
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